MY current fitness regime – I roughly calculate it’s the 26th of my adulthood – has resulted in us taking the rather unusual step of creating a ‘dry’ home.

This means that there is no alcohol in the house and that consumption of the demon drink only takes place on social outings.

It’s an interesting and thus far successful experiment that is thrown into sharp relief when I forgetfully wander down the furthest aisles of my usual supermarket.

I now immediately recall the words of comic legend Jim Bowen during his time hosting TV’s Bullseye game show when the contestants managed to blow their chances of winning the star prize because of their ineptitude at throwing darts.

“Look what you could have won!” he would shout as Dave and Vera were left bemoaning the fact that they would never be able to use the speedboat from their home in Birmingham.

Shopping in supermarkets when you’re not searching for your normal bottles of wine or cans of beer is much the same, although the current national train of thought that suggests supermarkets seem to be solely responsible for Britain’s drink crisis might be deflecting some of the blame away from others.

These include the pubs and clubs who prior to getting their collective act together certainly played fast and loose with drink pricing, as well as the parents allowing teenagers easy access to the stuff.

Scotland is now ready to play hard ball with its outlets and its own alcohol problems may ultimately reflect what our own country can expect to face in a short period of time.

A minimum price tariff on a unit of alcohol may be a controversial solution.

But unless the grip tightens on this epidemic, it may be the best we’ve got.